


a night on the queen mary

by beware_of_you



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: :), F/F, GHOSTS!!!!, These two are in love, but - Freeform, das it, happy late spooky season, i love them, it's spoopy, its jemily fluff but also ghosts, oh there's implied sexi times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27493813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beware_of_you/pseuds/beware_of_you
Summary: emily and jj spend a night aboard one of the world's most haunted ships: the rms queen mary (inspired by @gravelyhumerus oneshot "you ever see a ufo in these parts" <-- read that shit it's v god tier)
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 19
Kudos: 56





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gravelyhumerus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gravelyhumerus/gifts).



> idk how to rate apparently bc i've left "fuck" in fics i've rated g before so sue me if i let a few fucks go here and there
> 
> i'm actually v v proud of this :)

Emily plops herself down at the booth the rest team has chosen to occupy this morning, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. Her other hand clutches the mug of complimentary hotel coffee as if it's a lifeline, thankful for the warmth it provides her chilled hands.

"S'matter princess? Late night?" Derek teases her from across the table, wiggling his eyebrow suggestively.

She makes a face and tiredly flips him off instead of retorting with playful banter of her own. It's all her brain can comprehend a the moment. Besides, Derek knows she's the furthest thing from a morning person.

He honestly just wants to get underneath her skin.

He laughs, clearly pleased with the reaction he's garnering from the older woman. "Lil miss Pennsylvania Petite keep you busy last night, huh?"

Emily turns her tired glare on Spencer, scowling at him. "Does your boyfriend come with a snooze button. It's way too early for me to beat his ass."

Spencer looks up from his book, finger paused mid-sentence as he gauges both Emily's frown and Derek's amused smirk before turning back to the brunette with a shrug. "Unfortunately, not."

"Hey!"

Hotch pinches the bridge of his nose, seemingly already fed up with their antics. Emily swears it's a new record—it's not even eight o'clock yet.

"Kids, settle down. There will be no thorough ass beatings until at _least_ nine," Rossi chides them from across the booth, staring down at the sparse menu distractedly.

"Aw, mom, you're no fun," Derek pouts dramatically, pouting like a three year old with his arms folded across his chest. He holds this position for a few seconds before dropping the act and looking at his own menu.

Emily grunts in agreement, scanning around the table before stifling another yawn, noting the absence of a certain blonde. Weird. She wasn't in bed when Emily woke up, either. "Speaking of Pennsylvania Petite, where's my girlfriend?"

Derek's eyes gleam in delight, a playful jab on the tip of his tongue when he's cut off by JJ coming up to the booth, sliding in and pressing a kiss to Emily's cheek. "Morning, everybody."

Various versions of "good morning" are echoed around the table, some, like Rossi's and Spencer's more soft while Derek's and Hotch's are more clear and polite. Emily slowly wraps an arm around the blonde's waist, gently kissing her shoulder and letting her lips linger there, murmuring a tired greeting into the fabric of her shirt. She's grateful at the warmth JJ's body provides, silently basks in it while the rest of the team converse around her.

She comes to again when JJ gently nudges her with her elbow, holding her phone out to her face. "Babe, look at this," she insists softly.

Emily blinks to adjust to the sudden bright light in her face, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands and holding back another yawn before taking the blonde's phone from her grasp. Her vision is still blurred from sleep, so she blinks hard before attempting to read the fine print on the screen once more.

"No way."

She sits up in the booth suddenly, looking over the text a few more times to make sure she's reading it correctly. She glances up at JJ, who smiles at her, her elbow propped up on the table and her chin resting in her palm.

"No way!" Emily exclaims with a gasp, looking back at the phone in disbelief. "You didn't!"

JJ grins, pleased at her girlfriend's reaction. "I did."

"No _fucking_ way!"

"What did you do?" Spencer finally pries curiously, glancing once more up at his book to the vastly more aware and excited brunette.

JJ looks over at him with a proud smile. "I booked a cabin on the Queen Mary."

Derek looks up from his menu, frowning in confusion. "That big ass boat you can see from the highway?

"Not just any room!" Emily enthuses, ignoring Derek's contribution. "She booked room B340!" She runs her hands through her hair, staring at JJ in disbelief. "Jayje, there's like a three year waiting list to get into that room, how did you manage it!?"

JJ smiles secretly, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the table. "I had a little bit of help from our friendly neighborhood technical analyst," she says proudly.

Emily takes the blonde's face between her palms, giving her a quick, deep kiss. "God, you're incredible! I can't believe you managed this!"

Rossi looks up from his menu, finally flipping a page. "Are you going on an overnight cruise?"

"It's permanently docked!" Emily informs happily.

Rossi only frowns more, looking lost. "Am I missing something here? Why are you so excited about spending the night on a docked boat?"

Emily takes a swig from her coffee mug, practically bouncing in her seat in excitement. "Because the Queen Mary isn't just any boat! It's one of the most haunted places in America!"

Derek snorts in disbelief. "You're spending the night on an ancient ship because of a couple of ghost stories?"

"Say what you want, Morgan, but nothing is going to ruin this for me!" Emily says with a grin. "I'm about to spend the night in the room of a paranormal investigator's wet dreams in the most haunted ship in the world with _my_ ," she throws her arm around JJ's shoulders smugly. "Wonderfully amazing girlfriend, so, eat it!"

Her eyes widen almost comically as she downs her mug of coffee, setting it back on the table before sliding out. "I'm going to pack up our room so we can head out!"

JJ chuckles adoringly at her girlfriend's enthusiasm. "Em, babe, check in isn't until four," she reminds her.

"We'll spend the time before then exploring the rest of the ship!" Emily leans down, swiftly planting a kiss on JJ's cheek before swiping a croissant from the table, backing up towards the exit of the lobby. "Love you! You're the best! Mean it!" she calls out as she books it back to the elevator.

JJ watches with a soft smile, shaking her head at the brunette's antics before chuckling. She reaches out and grabs a danish from the middle of the table, breaking off a piece before eating it—she's starving.

"Do you believe in any of that?" Spencer asks JJ, briefly glancing over her shoulder at the food coming their way before focusing his gaze back on her. "Ghosts? Hauntings?"

JJ shrugs, taking another piece off her pastry. She considers herself someone that leans more towards identifying as a skeptic, but if something happens she can't explain, she'll consider "other worldly" options. She and Emily balance each other out like that—she brings a healthy dose of skepticism while Emily opens up her eyes to possibilities that she might have never considered.

She smiles politely up at their server, nodding when she's offered a cup of coffee. She takes it straight from the pot, not bothering to put any creamer or sugar in it as she tentatively takes a sip. "I'm not sure," she admits. "But Em likes to go see these places. It makes her happy, and that's all that matters."

Derek whistles slowly, shaking his head with a wide grin. "You're so whipped," he teases her, starting to dig in to his food.

"Aren't you the one that takes Spence to all those science conventions?" JJ quips back with a triumphant smirk that only widens when Spencer nods in agreement.

"It's true, you do!"

"Okay, okay," Derek relents, palms up in mock surrender. "I'm just as whipped for my boyfriend, but it takes a simp to know one."

JJ discreetly flips him off, scratching the side of her neck with her middle finger parting through her hair. Derek just grins in response, preoccupying himself with his breakfast and giving the blonde a break from his teasing.

"No demons?" Rossi asks casually after a long bout of silence, cleaning off his plate with the side of his fork.

"No, mom, no demons," JJ assures with a lopsided smile. "I love Em to death, but I absolutely draw the line at visiting places supposedly haunted by demons." She pulls her phone from her pocket, clicking her tongue once as she slides from the booth.

She should probably go up and help Emily pack up their room before they headed off to the ship.

She lifts her hand as a brief goodbye, turning to Hotch. "We'll be back before the jet takes off tomorrow," she promises, then turning her attention to Derek and Spencer. "Don't cause mom and dad too much trouble."

Hotch scowls slightly. "I still don't know how I ended up being _dad_ ," he mutters to himself.

JJ turns and heads towards the staircase, unable to stifle a giggle when she hears Rossi respond with, "Would you rather be called mom instead?"

She shakes her head, trudging up the staircase and digging in the pocket in the front of her flannel, producing their room key. She holds the keycard in front of the sensor, waiting to hear the audible click and see the small red light to turn green. She pads into the room, stopping in her tracks at the sight that greets her.

Emily is laying propped up on her side on one of the beds, one arm propped up at the elbow while the other lays out in front of her. She holds her head in her palm, smoldering gaze fixated on JJ as soon as she enters the room. Her hair is down, pooling on the sheets and over her bare chest just enough to leave room for the blonde's imagination. She's completely nude except for the pair of boy shorts clinging to her hips.

JJ's throat goes dry as she scans her girlfriend's body slowly before making eye contact. She steadies herself back on the door handle, gripping the cool metal to compose herself. "Wha— The bags— Packing?" is the only coherent words she manages to squeak out, knees nearly giving out when Emily chuckles.

She casually lifts a leg up in the air, stretching like a cat with a hum. "The packing is done, don't you worry about that, my darling phoenix. I wanted to properly thank you for doing this for me before we spend the next day or so ghost hunting." She kicks her leg out, using the momentum to prop herself up on her knees, beckoning JJ forward with a curl of her finger.

The younger woman comes over to the bed obediently, meeting Emily's lips in a slow kiss. Her hands land at her girlfriend's shoulders, anchoring herself. "Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm not too keen on giving the ghosts a free show," the brunette adds softly, grinning when JJ lets out an amused, short chuckle.

"Mm, what happened to going to the ship and exploring before check in," she asks softly, tilting her head to the side when Emily begins trailing soft, wet kisses down her neck. She looks up with a frown when she feels her girlfriend's movements seize, grip tightening and a soft gasp escaping her lips when the brunette suddenly grabs at her waist and pushes her down on the bed. Emily crashes their lips together in a more firm kiss, a choked moan sounding from JJ's lips at the action. Her hips rise up into Emily's, pupils blown wide when the older woman finally pulls away.

"There will be plenty of time for exploring," Emily murmurs, fingers deftly undoing the buttons of JJ's shirt with a smirk. The blonde raises her hands, allowing her girlfriend to remove her shirt and meeting her grin with one of her own.

Emily's hand curls around JJ's hip, holding their bodies close together before leaning in and whispering against her lips, "Right now, I want to show you how much I really appreciate you..."


	2. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fluff feat emily being extraTM

JJ steps from the SUV, looking up at the massive ship that seemingly towers over them. She uses one hand to cup the sun from her eyes as she peers up, trying to spot the top of the huge boat.

It looks so much smaller from the highway, she notes silently to herself, but the Queen Mary certainly has its charm. Large, long black boat with thousands of circular windows with the name of the ship painted on in elegant script, JJ has to admit that this is certainly one of the more welcoming locations they've stayed just from the outside alone.

Emily joins her at her side, practically vibrating with excitement. "Holy _shit_ ," she softly exhales as she stares up at the ship in wonder. "Oh my _god_."

JJ smiles to herself, loosely wrapping an arm around her girlfriend's waist. "What do you think?"

"I think..." Emily breathes out, turning and facing the younger woman with a huge grin. "That we're definitely going to see some ghosts tonight." She turns, briefly pressing a kiss to the blonde's head before bounding towards the ramp to get on the ship. "Come on!"

JJ squeaks with a laugh, allowing her eager girlfriend to drag her on the ship (only stopping briefly to lock the SUV—they still had five hours until check in).

She has to hold back a surprised gasp as soon as they breach the doorway of the ship. It felt like stepping back in time— smooth surfaced walls that caved in or protruded out, giving the illusion that the wall is built as layers in some areas, geometric gold trimming, red carpet with the same golden sharp edged lines creating diamonds beneath their feet. The artwork on the walls mimicked this style as well, using very minimal colors like blacks, reds, golds, navys and silver.

The decor absolutely screams art deco. Old black and white photos from the ship's more active years line the walls, each one labeled with an engraved golden panels. A small gift shop sits to their left, glass doors allowing them to briefly peak in and see the items tourists like themselves can buy when the shop opens. The lines in the carpet create a natural line of sight straight up to the front counter and registration, which looks to be empty at the moment.

There's not a whole lot that ties this ship to the 21st century other than a bluetooth speaker hanging from the corner of a wall, iphone chargers and cases for sale in the gift shop and a large Macintosh computer behind the registration booth. Even the music softly playing out of the speaker seems to be a product of its time: enthusiastic trumpets and saxophones blaring to a continuous, steady tempo that JJ can easily count along with the drums.

Emily holds her phone up for the blonde to see, an eyebrow raised in a silent plea as they pass by a lifesaver with the ship's name hanging on the wall. The younger woman smiles brightly, grabbing at her girlfriend's waist and pulling herself closer. She leans up, pressing a kiss to Emily's cheek, smiling against her skin when she sees the phone's front facing camera on them from her peripheral.

She leans her chin up on Emily's shoulder, watching as she looks through the selfies she had just taken of them. "Any keepers?"

"All of them," Emily nods with a grin, taking a few seconds to set her new home screen as one of the new pictures before locking her phone and pulling out another one from her back pocket (dubbed her "ghost hunting" phone—she uses it only for taking pictures and video at the places they go to).

"Is it charged?"

"Yeah," Emily confirms, bringing the screen close for her girlfriend to inspect briefly before adjusting a few of the settings for the camera. "And I have a few portable chargers in my bag so I can leave it running all night. I think I want to record, if that's okay."

JJ hums as her consent, eyes glued onto whatever Emily's doing on the screen of the device.

"Good afternoon, ladies!"

Both women startle slightly at the voice, eyes moving from the phone to the source of the sound (neither of them had heard anyone come up).

A few feet away and standing just in front of the front booth is a man dressed in a full navy blue captain's uniform, a white and blue hat adorning his head. His eyes are warm, his posture is welcoming and his smile friendly. His eyes shine brightly, using one hand to delicately pinch the brim of his hat and tip it in a polite greeting.

"Welcome aboard the RMS Queen Mary, a one-of-a-kind hotel experience unlike any other! My name is John Treasure: captain of this ship. May I offer my assistance or help you with anything?"

JJ had to admit, she was a little impressed by this man's dedication to his job— no other staff at any other place they had gone to had ever gotten so deep into the role. This man, (Captain Treasure, she reminds herself silently, if only to go along with the act to not come across as rude), seemed to enjoy playing a believable part.

She flashes him a polite smile. "We're just looking around the ship. We can't check into our room for a couple more hours yet."

Captain Treasure's eyes light up. "Ah, interested in this ship's rich history?"

Emily shares her own smile with the captain. "Very much so," she enthuses.

"Would you like a guided tour of the ship?"

The two women share a brief glance with each other. "Is that something you do here?" Emily asks.

The captain nods. "Certainly! Free of charge!"

JJ's eyes narrow in suspicion, skeptical of the man's offer. He sounds genuine, and from her years in a field centered on human behavior, she doesn't notice any ticks that would make him seem untrustworthy otherwise. Judging by Emily's relaxed demeanor, she must think so too. The heavy weight at her hip reminds her that she still has her government issued gun hanging from the holster hidden at her side. She reasons that if things took a wrong turn, both she and Emily would be able to handle things.

Emily studies her girlfriend, finally turning back to Captain Treasure. "Are you sure?"

Captain Treasure nods again, smile still as bright as it has been since their introduction. "I insist on it, if you two are okay with it!"

The older woman turns to the blonde, barely raising her shoulders as she shrugs. "I don't mind if you don't, Jayje."

"What the hell, we have time to kill anyway," JJ finally agrees.

Captain Treasure grins. "Excellent! We'll start from the very beginning, shall we?" He turns, starting to walk down the hallway. "Construction for the Queen Mary began in the early 30s in the town of Clydebank, Scotland as a naval ship for the British army—"

The two women follow behind, JJ grabbing Emily's free hand and looping their fingers comfortably together as they explore the depths of the ship with the captain. He leads them effortlessly through mazes of long, narrow hallways, rooms full of complex equipment that kept the ship running, and the abandoned indoor pool that sits right in the middle of the ship, all while talking about the complex and interesting history of the Queen Mary.

JJ glances around at their surroundings as they pass by curiously, using the captain's words to paint a picture in her mind of what the ship might have been like in it's prime. Her focus is mostly drawn on her girlfriend, who hangs onto every single word Captain Treasure says like it's gospel, her eyes full of wonder and excitement.

It makes the blonde smile to herself.

At one point, the captain leads them to the top deck of the ship, taking a moment to let them look around at their surroundings.

JJ gives into the urge to go over to the side of the ship and look down. They were _really_ high off the ground. She lets out a small puff of air in amazement, finally looking up and staring at the city in the distance. It was really pretty up here, the air smelt of salt and sea, the wind softly whipping her hair into her face, afternoon sun warming her skin. She leans back when she feels the soft, familiar feeling of her girlfriend's hands at her hips, her lips on her temple. She closes her eyes at the contact.

This, JJ decides, is perfect.

"I could get used to this," Emily murmurs in her ear. "It's beautiful up here."

The younger woman tilts her head to the side, just barely glancing back at her girlfriend with a small smile. "Sure is," she murmurs in agreement, though they both know she's not talking about the view. She leans in, pressing a soft, brief kiss to the brunette's lips before she can argue. "What time is it?"

Emily's nose crinkles as she makes a face playfully at the blonde, hitting the power button on the side of the "ghost hunting" phone, squinting at the darkened screen. She clicks her tongue, slipping it back in her pocket. "We should probably head back down. We have twenty minutes until check in."

The two walk back to the awaiting captain, Emily taking back her other phone the man offers her with a grateful smile (she asked him to take some pictures of them). Even as they start making their descent to the lower levels of the ship, the captain is briefly telling the history of a few more areas along the way. He becomes quiet when they descent lower, holding the door to the lobby open for the two, offering polite smiles to them as they go past.

The two make their way down the narrow hall they took when they left, spitting out into the main lobby of the ship. It's still empty, but the reception booth is now occupied by two employees: one on the phone and one typing away on the computer.

"I'm going to grab the bags," Emily insists quietly, gently resting a hand on JJ's hip.

"I'll be out to help."

The older woman shakes her head slightly, smile soft and reassuring. "I got it. It's only two anyway," she dismisses.

"You sure?"

"Positive," Emily confirms, holding her hand out for the SUV keys.

JJ shrugs, handing them over with a soft, "okay". "I'll check us in. Tell the captain thanks for the tour," she says, slowly clapping her hands together. She melts when the brunette smiles at her and kisses her cheek, watching her as she exits the ship.

JJ finally turns back to the front desk, frowning slightly when she notices the captain's absence. She pokes her head back down the hallway curiously, frown only deepening when she finds it empty. She _thought_ the captain had followed them back out here.

He must have had something else he had to do on the ship, she reasons with herself, slowly shaking her head to clear her confusion. The thought is gone from her mind as she checks them in. There's only a brief moment she has to wait for Emily to come back, unable to stop herself from reaching for her girlfriend's hand and following the woman that checked them in to the room.

The halls are more open than the ones they took with the captain earlier, appear more warm and inviting with various pictures scattered around the light tan colored walls.

Room 340B is in the middle of the main corridor and stands right in front of a map of the ship, showing the way back to the main desk and various restaurants housed on board. JJ smiles politely at the reception worker, trading her a few bills as a tip in exchange for the room's keycard.

The room feels really open despite the size, a queen sized bed tucked at the far right corner. There's a small bathroom in the opposite corner, door propped open to show off the white tiled floor and single person shower. The carpet beneath their feet is a deep navy with golden geometric shapes and lines outlining the edges of the room's walls. There's a small vanity next to the bed and a digital TV plugged into the corner of the room straight ahead of the bed. There's no windows and the walls lack pictures, but there are a few designs in red paint that tie in the art deco aesthetic.

Despite the slight chill in the room, JJ thinks it's one of the nicer places they've gone to based on looks alone.

She turns her head slightly to check on her girlfriend, who is looking around the room in a silent awe. She gently reaches out, just brushing the older woman's wrist to ground her. Emily blinks slowly at the feeling, facing the blonde with a brief, reassuring smile. She turns back to the room, sucking in a deep breath. "Can we lay on the bed? I just..." She pauses, unsure of how to continue.

JJ breathes out an amused breath through her nose, committing to fully grabbing Emily's wrist and giving the area another squeeze. "Of course."

They set the bags down at the end of the bed, Emily slowly lowering herself on the mattress. She props her head up on the pillows, swiveling her head slowly around the walls and ceiling while her fingers absentmindedly stroke at the sheets beneath her fingers.

Moving as to not disturb her girlfriend, JJ lowers herself on the bed on the opposite side to Emily, using the pillow against her lower back instead as she props up against the headboard. A small smile forms on her face at the wonder in the brunette's eyes. "What do you think?" she asks quietly.

Brown eyes flick over to acknowledge her before they continue their journey. The older agent clasps her hands together and lays them on her chest, slowly puffing out a breath. "This bed is really comfy," she cracks lightly with a grin before biting down on her lip.

JJ chuckles lightly. "Agreed. It's much better than that hotel we went to last time."

"This place is awesome," Emily adds in a softer, more genuine tone. "I can't even tell you how long I've waited to come on this ship."

JJ grabs her hand silently, giving her fingers a squeeze in the absence of words.

"Thank you."

The blonde blinks, confused. "What for?"

Emily turns on her side to face her girlfriend, gesturing around the room with her free hand. "For... everything. I know I'm a nerd about coming to these places, and I know you're a skeptic, but it means a lot that you plan out these trips to take me to them."

A soft kiss is place on the back of her hand at the vulnerability she can detect in her girlfriend's voice. JJ knows that no one has ever taken Emily's interests in the macabre into consideration, or even humored them. The older agent had also been scrutinized and teased for being interested in the paranormal in the past.

It's not something JJ takes for granted.

"Your interests matter to me," is the quiet, but honest response. The younger agent reaches out and brushes her thumb over Emily's soft lips. "I like making you happy."

Emily's gaze softens. "I love you," she sighs out happily.

Instead of responding, JJ leans over and presses a soft kiss to the older woman's lips. Emily softly sighs into her mouth, melting into the gesture. She gently threads her fingers through long strands of blonde, stroking the hair at the base of her girlfriend's neck soothingly.

She hums happily when JJ carefully pulls away, laying her head on her chest, her fingers continuing their slow, comforting movements through the blonde's hair. She plants a kiss on her forehead, leaning her chin on top of her girlfriend's head, looking around the room once more. "Where do you think a good place for the camera would be?"

"We have plenty of time to figure that out," JJ assures, tapping Emily's nose lightly with a warm smile. "We have dinner reservations at 7:00 and a guided ghost tour at 9:00."

Emily's eyes light up, wide grin spreading on her face at their plans for the evening. "Really?"

"Yep! _Oh!_ " JJ sits up suddenly, grabbing her bag from the end of the bed. She unzips it quickly, digging around until she produces two tape recorders. She wiggles them in front of her girlfriend's face with a grin of her own. "And we got to find out where you want these."

"God, I really, _really_ love you," Emily sighs contently. "You're amazing."

A messy, audible kiss is planted on her cheek, JJ's grin spreading so wide at the sound of her girlfriend's delighted giggle, her cheeks hurt. "And I really, _really_ love you!"


	3. iii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :)

JJ rubs her eyes as soon as she wakes up, exhaling sharply as she stretches in bed. She notes the absence of her girlfriend's warm body beside her and snuggles further into the sheets. It's cold.

She pulls the covers up to her chin, tiredly turning to face the room.

Emily's sitting on the floor, just barely visible in the dull golden glow of the lamp in the corner. Her hair is damp and her t-hangs loosely around her shoulders, even more so because of her position. She's sitting on the floor, hunched over the screen of her ghost hunting phone, seeming to scroll through what was recorded all through the night.

JJ exhales again, rubbing her eyes once more before she croaks, "Find anything yet, babe?"

Emily glances up and gives her girlfriend a warm smile before she cuts herself off with a yawn. She uses the back of her hand to stifle it, shaking her head slowly. "But I haven't looked through it all. I was looking through the pictures from the tour." She turns the phone briefly towards the blonde, pointing to the edge of the photo. "There could be something here."

JJ hums, slowly sitting up as she recalls the previous night. "Is that the boiler room? I think that place was pretty creepy. It gave me the most 'haunted' vibes."

Emily glances up again, nose crinkling as she smiles. "You think so?"

JJ agrees with a nod, cocooning herself in the blanket as she sits up. "I think so. How did you sleep?"

"I thought I heard someone knocking on the walls all throughout the night," Emily admits with a slight shiver. "I kept waking up to them. The recorded probably picked those up. Shower was pretty uneventful though— no "redrum" written on the walls in lipstick or handprints in the condensation on the mirror."

"Maybe the next place, baby," the blonde agrees with a light laugh, opening up her arms. "Come here. This room is freezing."

Emily stands up, practically throwing herself into JJ's arms before snuggling her face into her neck. She inhales deeply, planting a few kisses against her girlfriend's collarbone. "It's the ghosts. They want your amazing cuddles."

The blonde has to bite her lip to contain her amused chuckles. Emily only gets cuddly like this when she's really tired. JJ makes a mental note to call dibs on the couch on the jet so her girlfriend could get proper rest. "Oh yeah?"

"Mhm, but they can't have 'em. 'Cause they're only for me," Emily mumbles, wrapping her arms firmly around the blonde's waist.

"You're such a dork," JJ murmurs affectionately, stroking her fingers through Emily's hair with a fond smile.

" _Your_ dork," Emily mumbles into her skin, smiling sleepily on her neck.

The younger woman kisses the crown of the brunette's head. "And I wouldn't have it any other way." She forces herself to shift towards the edge of the bed with a soft sigh. "You ready to go get some breakfast then head back to the jet to get some proper sleep?"

"I want to look over the camera roll!" Emily pouts, hands stroking distractedly through JJ's hair. It feels so good, so soothing that the younger woman almost gives into her girlfriend's plea.

 _Almost_.

"How about you take a nap on the jet and we'll look over everything together when we get home?" JJ compromises. "You need to get some rest _without_ being disturbed by ghosts." When Emily remains silent, she adds in, "I even took some video of the tour last night on my phone we can look over if you want."

"Promise?"

In response, JJ hold up her pinky. Emily lifts her head up and links their fingers together with a grin. "Okay, let's go."

The younger agent takes a quick shower before they pack up, slipping on a simple t-shirt and sweat pants. It doesn't take too long to gather what little possessions they had brought back into their bags. JJ reaches into the side table drawer, handing Emily over her gun before tucking her own back into the holster she has at her waist. She tugs her shirt back down over the weapon, lacing her fingers with Emily's as they make their exit.

JJ goes up to the front desk while Emily hangs back, taking her girlfriend's assuring smile as a silent confirmation she'll check them out without the need for her help. She pulls her ghost hunting phone from her back pocket instead, unlocking it and scrolling through the camera roll again for anything interesting.

The younger agent politely smiles as the same worker comes up and greets them quietly. She murmurs a "good morning" to the employee.

"Enjoy your stay?" the employee asks once she's close enough to talk at a normal volume.

"Very much so," Emily enthuses from behind JJ, unable to help her excitement from showing through.

JJ hums in agreement, sharing a polite smile with the young woman behind the counter. "Yeah, this place is one of the nicer places we stayed at. The food was amazing and you guys were super helpful last night." As soon as the statement leaves her lips, the blonde recalls something. "We've never stayed somewhere where the reenact-ors took their roles so seriously."

The employee frowns slight in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"The captain," JJ elaborates. "He greeted us when we came in yesterday and gave us a tour before we checked in."

"The... captain?" the employee asks, looking lost.

It's JJ's turn to look confused, a frown of her own appearing on her face at the other woman's tone. "Yeah? The captain."

"We don't have an active captain," a different employee from the one that was there yesterday pipes up from further in the booth. "Not one that comes on board, anyway."

"He said he was the captain," Emily finally speaks up, looking up from the screen. "He was there when we came in."

"What did he say his name was?"

"Captain Treasure."

The two employees share a look, confusing the two profilers. "What?"

The employee further in the booth clears her throat. "What did he look like?"

Emily and JJ share a look of their own, clearly both confused at what is going on. The younger agent brushes a few strands of hair behind her ear as she pulls up a mental picture of the man that gave them the tour. "Older, about mid to late 70's. White. About 5'9, maybe 5'10. Had a slight accent..."

"British, maybe," Emily adds.

"He was wearing a captain's uniform with a few badges on his chest," JJ concludes, turning back to the employees. "Does he not work here?"

The second employee stands suddenly, grabbing a portrait of someone off the wall before bringing it up for the women to inspect.

"That's him!" Emily confirms, pointing to the picture with an affirmative hum. "Captain John Treasure Jones," she reads the plaque.

"Captain John Treasure Jones has been dead for almost two decades," the first employee informs them.

JJ's mouth drops open in shock, unable to form words as she processes the information. That man in the frame is exactly who they saw yesterday. They had spent hours with him, surely he had to be real then... right?

"You... you don't hire actors?" JJ stutters in disbelief, goosebumps appearing on her arms as the reality dawns on her.

"No, ma'am."

Emily is completely rendered speechless, looking between her astounded girlfriend and the picture with a gaping mouth.

"He must have come on behind us?" JJ tries to rationalize.

The employees shake their heads once more. "We were only gone from the desk for a few minutes. We would have noticed someone get on or wonder around here dressed as a captain."

"We spent four hours with a _ghost_?" Emily finally puffs out in disbelief.

The employees shrug their shoulders, unable to answer that question.

JJ gives them both a tight smile, forcing herself to remain polite and calm as she hands over the key. "Thank you both so much," she murmurs, grasping the handle on her bag tightly. She fidgets in place, waiting for the employees' responses before practically bolting to the exit of the ship. Her entire body is covered in goosebumps, her head still spinning from the bombshell dropped on them.

"So we really got a tour of the Queen Mary from a ghost," Emily mutters from beside her, slowly shaking her head in disbelief.

JJ's mouth opens and closes a few times as she tries to find out what to say. All she can do is shrug and murmur out, "Guess so."

Emily is silent for a while, stopping at the passenger's side of the SUV. She turns back and gives the ship a once over one last time before a huge grin spreads on her face. "This place is _really_ fucking awesome."

JJ laughs, _genuinely laughs_ , at Emily's tone, all the fear ebbing from her body at the sheer joy she expresses. "Yeah, it is pretty awesome," she agrees with a grin. "Come on, let's go get some coffee and donuts."

Emily whoops as she gets into the car, beaming when it gets another laugh out of her girlfriend. She grabs the blonde's freehand as she starts the SUV, holding it up in the air victoriously. "Ghosts, donuts, and coffee! Best morning ever!" The SUV is filled with the joyous sounds of their laughter as they take the exit to get back on the freeway.

From the very top of the ship, the translucent like figure of Captain John Treasure slowly waves at the black SUV drifts further and further out of sight. As a strong gust of wind blows across the deck, he slowly vanishes until he disappears, once again leaving the deck unoccupied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i felt like mfing rl stine writing this chapter i'm v v proud of it

**Author's Note:**

> if you haven't, you need to read "you ever see a ufo in these parts" by @gravelyhumerus bc without them this lil story wouldn't have happened :)


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